Keeping Kids Busy

If you have ever spent a day with restless preschoolers and school age kids you know that children in these age groups need to be kept busy! You’ve figured out what happens when they don’t have enough things to do – that is when trouble starts! Children, especially preschoolers (age 3-5 years) are wired for learning and they learn best through active participation. Planning activities for children requires some time and preparation on your part but it does pay off! Active learning teaches children useful school readiness skills and also stimulates the imagination and fosters children’s creativity. There are many activities you can plan to do together with your child or that the preschooler or school age child can do on their own. These activities have the added benefit of requiring just a few, simple materials.

The Name Game Materials needed: Index cards, markers
Print each letter in your child’s name on a card. Lay them out to spell your child’s name. Mix them up and have your child try to put them back in the proper order. For younger children – make a pattern for them by tracing the cards onto a large piece of paper. Younger children can fit the card onto the patter – almost like completing a puzzle.
Developmentally: the first word that a child learns to “read” is usually his own name. Names of siblings and pets quickly follow.

Connect the Dots Alphabet
Materials needed: Paper, markers
Draw a dot to dot outline of a simple picture. (Try tracing some pictures from your child’s coloring books.) Starting with the letter A, place each letter of the alphabet at a consecutive dot. Have your child connect the dots by identifying each letter. For younger children – instead of the alphabet, place each letter of your child’s name at a consecutive dot.

Developmentally: The first letters that children learn to recognize are usually those in their own name. This is because their name is something meaningful. Names of siblings and pets quickly follow.

Silly Question
Materials needed: None
Ask your child silly questions to help him use his imagination and make choices. For example: “Would you rather be a bird or a cow? Why” or “Would you rather be a table or a chair? Why” Take turns asking the questions and giving the answers. Developmentally: this type of activity opens up a dialogue between you and the children. Listening to their responses can really give you valuable insight about your child. Extend the conversation by questioning them about their answers. The book, “I Wish I Had Duck Feet” by Theo LeSieg is a great way to start or end this activity. The story is about a little boy who imagines what would happen if he had duck feet.

Listening Game
 Materials needed: small, household objects like keys, coins, silverware, whistle, etc. Have your child close her eyes and guess the sounds you make. You can also tap on a pot with a spoon, snap your fingers, or click your tongue. Developmentally: this type of activity can be done with a child as young as three years. Keep the noises simple at first. This is a good example of an activity that can be done while you are waiting at the doctor’s office. It sharpens listening skills.

Guessing Bag
 Materials needed: Pillowcase and small, unbreakable household objects (empty water bottle, ball, book, etc.) Place a variety of small, unbreakable household objects inside a bag. Close the bag so the objects are not visible. Have your child feel the objects through the bag and guess what they are.

Developmentally: For younger children – limit the number of objects in the bag to three or four. It becomes too frustrating for them if there are too many choices. Older children usually have a very easy time identifying objects by touch. You can extend their play by asking them questions until you can guess what is in the bag. For example: “Is the object you are holding round? Is it a ball?”

Mining for Gold
 Materials needed: Small rocks, gold spray paint Spray some small rocks with paint to resemble gold nuggets. Bury the nuggets in the dirt in your yard or sandbox, give your child a shovel and help them dig for buried treasure.

Activity Extension: recycle water bottles. Fill empty bottle with sand and add small plastic jewels, sequins, plastic sea animals, colorful rocks etc. Glue cap on. Most children have the ability to slowly rotate the bottle (this is a great small motor skill) and enjoy seeing what treasures are in the sand. You can also add a small amount of powdered tempera paint to make colored sand.

Painting
Materials needed: Paintbrush and water
Give your child a clean paintbrush and a bucket full of water (always supervise children closely around ANY type of water play). Let your child “paint” the outside of the house (other suggestions might be the car, the fence or the sidewalk). Developmentally: painting helps children build small motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Very young children usually enjoy the sensation and exploration of the water. You can give these children large squishy sponges or measuring cups.

Nail Board Materials needed: Nails, wooden board, hammer, rubber bands Hammer nails into a piece of board. The children can stretch the rubber bands from one nail to another.

Developmentally: this activity really promotes finger dexterity and small muscle control.

Little Carpenter
 Materials needed: Golf tees, styrofoam, burlap, duct tape and a toy hammer. Cover the top and sides of the styrofoam with burlap and tape down the edges. You are trying to create a surface about 12x12x4. Children can hammer the golf tees into the styrofoam.

Developmentally: young children love this activity. The process of hammering and pulling the tees is challenging and very good for hand-eye coordination. It works well for children ages 2-1/2 up to 6 years.

Fun with Weights
 Materials needed: Bathroom scale and various household objects. Using a bathroom scale, weigh your child and help her weigh household objects: a stack of books, a bag of flour, dolls and so on. Try to find something that weighs the same amount as your child.

Play with Boxes
 Materials needed: Boxes in various sizes.
Your child can put boxes of all sizes to good use. She can make a train or a spaceship for herself, build a dollhouse or create a car.

The City
Materials needed: Map of your town, markers
Sit down with your child and mark out familiar places on the map – home, church, school, grandma’s house. Explain to your child that a map helps us to figure out which way to go. When you are going somewhere (the doctor’s office), mark it on the map and help your child figure out how you are going to get there. Take the map with you when you go.

Thank you to Lisa Albert from the EPTSS Division for this month's activity!

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